Delaware Bill of Sale
No sales tax, no required bill of sale, and a DMV that inspects the car while you title it — Delaware compresses the whole transfer into one visit, then charges 5.25% and calls it a document fee.
Go together, bring originals, budget 5.25%.
Delaware specifics, answered.
Does Delaware require a bill of sale?
No — the title-back assignment is the whole legal transfer, and Delaware publishes no bill of sale form. A voluntary one is still smart practice: it's the only signed record of the price and AS-IS terms if the deal is ever questioned, and the doc-fee math makes the price worth documenting.
If Delaware has no sales tax, what's the 5.25%?
A 'document fee' — functionally a transfer tax by another name, charged at titling on the HIGHER of the purchase price or NADA trade-in value. Delaware markets itself tax-free, and for shopping it is; for vehicle titling, budget 5.25% (raised from 4.25% in October 2025).
What's distinctive about the Delaware DMV visit?
The vehicle comes along — Delaware inspects at DMV lanes as part of the title transfer, at its four statewide locations. Newer vehicles (roughly the newest seven model years) get a VIN-verification-only pass; older ones run the full safety lane. Practical consequence: buyer and seller often meet AT the DMV and finish everything in one visit.
Any paperwork gotchas at the Delaware counter?
Originals only — Delaware DMV refuses photocopied or scanned title documents. The buyer has 30 days to complete the transfer ($35 late penalty), and the seller mails the Seller's Report of Sale stub to step out of liability.
Not legal advice. Verified against Delaware DMV sources in July 2026 — official links in our 50-state requirements table.
Not selling a car? Start here instead.
The Delaware rules above apply to whatever you are selling. Pick the item type to get a form with the right identifying fields on it.